Dreamwalkers: Ethereal
''Dreamwalkers: Ethereal ''is the second chapter of a fanfiction by KleptoBrony, and follows Etherwing, an ancestor of Klepto's OC, Nightwing. This chapter is set a few years before the banishment of Princess Luna in the My Little Pony Friendship is Magic storyline. Story A slumbering peace hovered over the cobbled streets of the Castle of the Two Sisters as the full night moon reached its highest point, shedding cool light over neat buildings and empty street stalls. In the distance, the few ponies who would be out at this time would hear the distant lapping of the water approaching the falls as it streamed down the canals, snaking toward the edge of the castle village and, when it arrived, cascading out of the wall portals to fall in a misty haze down into the gorge. One pony in particular closed her eyes, relishing in the calming sound as she glided with spread wings through the clear sky towards her destination. Landing lightly upon the cobblestones of a hoofpath next to the water, Princess Luna lowered the hood of her dark cloak. The princess of the night walked slowly along the side of the clear water, spreading her wing downwards to allow her feathertips to graze the surface. Giggling softly at the sensation, Princess Luna quietly made her way to one building in particular. She had come to this building the previous night to arrange what she was about to do. The wooden sign that hung above its door read "Everfree Orphanage". Assured of her destination, the alicorn mare knocked a single time on the heavy wooden door. A slide in the door was soon opened and closed by somepony behind it, followed by the sound of a bolt being slid back, and the door swung ajar to admit Luna. "Your highness..." came a mare's soft tone, and by the light of a single candle lit in the narrow hall beyond the door Luna could see that the owner of the orphanage stood before her in a low bow. Luna gave a small polite bow in return. "You may call me "Luna", my faithful subject," said Luna smilingly, choosing not to use her "Royal Canterlot" demeanor. The middle-aged mare was surprised at this, but rose from her bow and nodded respectfully. "Thank you... Luna." "May I see him?" asked the princess, and the orphanage's owner nodded again. "Please follow me this way," she said, leading Luna down the narrow, dimly lit hall. Opening one of the several doors that lined it, she motioned Luna inside. This room had but one small crib that sat in the corner and, like the hall, was lit by a single candle by the door. Luna and the other mare stepped quietly on the rug on the floor as they approached the crib. Luna looked over its edge at the one foal she had come to see. The dark gray-bodied colt, perhaps three years old, slept peacefully on his side, covered with a blanket. Luna was curiously struck by the cute way he breathed; an inhale through the nose, and an exhale with a little puff through his mouth. She knew it was how she herself slept. "What is his name?" inquired Luna quietly, still watching the young colt sleep. "We don't know... He was just dropped off at our door last week. No information, no name, just a note saying that his parents were gone. I tried to stop the hooded pony who knocked on the door, but he left the poor foal with me and flew away without another word." "I see," said Luna, deep in thought. She turned to the mare. "Thank you for all you have done. You remember that this meeting must be kept a well-guarded secret, as we discussed last night, yes?" "Yes, of course... Luna," replied the mare humbly, remembering to call the princess by her name as she had requested. "Good. May I?" "Of course." Luna did what she had come to do. Carefully lifting the still-sleeping colt out of the crib with her cool blue magic, she wrapped him in his blanket and followed the mare back through the hallway to the front door. "Goodbye, Luna. Go with luck. Celestia knows how you're making time to raise him, but please take care of the poor soul..." "Actually, my sister doesn't know. I'm afraid it must stay that way for now," replied Luna reluctantly. "But I will take care of him. He's destined for good things. Thank you." The orphanage owner bowed her thanks once more and closed the door, leaving Luna and her foal outside in the moonlight. Holding the sleeping colt securely to her chest, the princess of the night spread her wings and glided back to the castle's keep by the full light of the moon. Princess Celestia had just left Equestria on a month-long dignitary trip to the Griffon Kingdom; this the only reason Luna felt safe enough to bring the colt back to the keep. She knew she would have to find another safe place soon. Princess Luna landed lightly on her balcony and walked through the already-open door into her warm firelit bedroom. Laying the colt tenderly on the sheets of her bed, she sat next to him and studied him intently for a minute. Then the foal yawned, sat up, and rubbed his eyes. As he turned and looked up at the alicorn next to him, Luna saw the little colt's eyes and their color for the first time, and smiled. They were a cool cyan. Just like her own eyes. The colt showed no fear of Luna, rather, curiosity. He cocked his head quizzically to one side as he looked at Luna, as if to ask, who are you? Luna grinned down at him. "My name is Luna, little one," she said in a soothing tone so as not to frighten the colt, who she knew was unfamiliar with her. The colt didn't say anything; Luna doubted the young foal could understand very much of what she was saying to him. But he returned her gaze so unflinchingly, so fully. "I am... your new mother," continued Luna. Then the little one spoke. "Mommy?" Luna smiled, surprised. "Yes... Mommy," she said. The colt felt a foreleg wrap around him and pull him closer, and he laid his head against Luna's chest with the full, unwavering trust of his age. "You are safe with me, and I will never let go of you," said Luna, gazing out the open balcony door at the full moon. "You will have brothers and sisters soon, and your approaching destiny glows bright as the moon." Luna carefully picked up the foal with one foreleg, rose from her bed slowly, then walked back onto her balcony. The night sky was perfectly clear, and hundreds of stars shone above, their twinkling light speckling the dark dome of the heavens and complimenting perfectly the cool rays of the moon. "I am told your name was unknown," said Luna as she and the little colt gazed up into the beautiful sky. "Not anymore. Your name will be Etherwing, for this clear, heavenly night and the star-filled sky." The small pegasus colt buzzed his little wings happily as Luna brought him back into her bedroom. Beside her bed was a small crib for the first foal she adopted. Luna lay Etherwing into it tenderly, and gave him his blanket from the orphanage. Then, leaning over the crib, she planted a small kiss on his forehead. "Goodnight, Etherwing. Sweet dreams... One day, dreams will belong to you." Etherwing snuggled into his blanket as sleepiness began to wash over him. His life had been one of confusion and much change. He had never really known his first parents. He couldn't remember either of his original parents at all, or his first home. But now, somewhere deep inside himself, the colt knew that this one, "Luna"... She was his real Mommy. Here was his real home. Category:Fanfiction Category:WIP